Molecules Turn on Long-Term Memory in Immune System

Researchers have identified two molecules (TL and CD8aa) that cooperate to trigger immune cells to develop into long-lived memory cells to fight recurring infections, a finding that may aid the development of longer-lasting, more-potent vaccines for viruses such as HIV and West Nile. The finding was reported in the April 23, 2004, issue of Science.

During an infection immunce cells are activated to fight the infectious assault. These activated immune cells are programmed to undergo death immediately at the end of such a defense response. However, a few survive as memory cells. These cells are important since they can persist for the life of the individual and will act rapidly upon encountering the same infection later in life to provide immediate protection.

"These two molecules are induced during this defensive response and provide survival signals to the responding immune cells, which allow them to develop into long-lived memory cells,” said Hilde Cheroutre, Ph.D., from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI, La Jolla, CA, USA). "With more of these memory cells, the body can better fight the infection should it arise again. This has major implications for the development of vaccines that will protect people longer and more effectively against disease.”




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